The Growth Mindset Playbook for Life’s Transitions

Hey there,

If you’re going through a transition—whether it’s a layoff, career change, or personal shift—you might be feeling stuck right now.

I know exactly what that feels like.

I’ve been through my fair share of transitions. I’ve worked on presidential campaigns, built and sold businesses, raised millions in funding, and even stood in front of Mark Cuban on Shark Tank. I’ve also had to start over more times than I can count—whether it was after an election loss, exiting a company, or stepping away from a high-level government role to figure out what’s next.

Each time, I’ve had to remind myself: transitions follow a pattern. They’re not clean. They’re not easy. But they’re necessary for growth.

Here’s what I’ve learned about the transition framework and why embracing a growth mindset is the key to moving forward.

Step 1: Accept the End (And What’s Possible Next)

Something just ended. A job. A career path. A version of yourself. It’s normal to grieve it.

But here’s the truth: the longer you stay fixated on what was, the harder it is to see what’s possible next.

People with a fixed mindset see endings as failures. They think, This proves I wasn’t good enough. I’m not cut out for what’s next.

People with a growth mindset see endings as the beginning of something new. They ask:
✔️ What did I learn from this?​
✔️ How does this open up new possibilities?​
✔️ What strengths do I have that I can use in a new way?

What saved me from spiraling was shifting my focus from what I lost to what I gained. I started listing out everything I had learned—about leadership, about raising capital, about scaling businesses. And when I stepped back, I realized that experience was valuable in ways I hadn’t even considered before.

Try this today: Write down three skills or experiences from your past job that are valuable in new industries. (Example: If you worked in government, you likely have leadership, problem-solving, or project management skills that private companies want.)

Step 2: Get Comfortable in the Messy Middle

This is the hardest part. You don’t know what’s next. You feel uncertain. It’s tempting to rush into something—anything—just to feel in control again.

I remember that feeling. I was refreshing my inbox, waiting for the “perfect opportunity” to show up. I kept thinking, I should have a plan by now. But I didn’t.

And that’s where most people get stuck.

The truth is, there is no perfect next step waiting for you. You have to create it.

People with a growth mindset don’t see the messy middle as a waiting game. They use it as a time to experiment:
✔️ What industries or roles am I curious about?​
✔️ What skills do I want to sharpen?​
✔️ What small steps can I take today to test new directions?

Try this today: Instead of putting pressure on yourself to land the perfect job, treat your next few months as a learning sprint.
✅ Make a list of three industries or roles you’re curious about (even if they’re outside your comfort zone).

✅ Schedule one conversation with someone in each field.

✅ Take one free online course or workshop to build a skill that interests you.

When you shift from panic mode to exploration mode, opportunities start showing up.

Step 3: Step Into the New Version of You

When the next opportunity comes, you’ll realize something: You’re not the same person who started this transition.

You’ve learned new things. You’ve adapted. You’ve built resilience. You didn’t just survive—you grew.

A fixed mindset says: I’ll only be successful if I get back to where I was.​
A growth mindset says: Success is about where I’m going, not where I’ve been.

Try this today: Write down this sentence and fill in the blanks:
​"The version of me that’s emerging from this transition is [stronger in what way?], [more skilled in what area?], and open to [new opportunity you wouldn’t have considered before]."

The Bottom Line

You can’t control every transition in life. But you can control how you move through it, on your own timeline.

✔️ Accept the End: Stop holding onto the past. Ask what’s possible now.
✔️ Own the Messy Middle: Treat it as a time to explore and experiment.
✔️ Step Into the New You: Growth happens when you embrace change, not resist it.

Transitions aren’t easy. But they’re how we grow. Your next chapter starts today.

Let’s go,
​Craig

If you want practical exercises and real-world examples of how people have used a growth mindset to transform their careers, check out the free Growth Mindset workbook I put together.

Free Growth Mindset Workbook for Federal Workers

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Check out our other posts and toolkits

• ​Preparing for Federal Layoffs: First 10 Day Toolkit​
• ​The End, the Messy Middle, and the New Beginning—How to Get It Right​